A 16-year-old Street Fighter player just walked off the stage after winning the tournament and is now being celebrated for it!
For 16-year-old Ed Main EndingWalker, the Ultimate Fighting Arena tournament in Paris was only his second live Street Fighter tournament. However, it didn’t show in his play and legendary exit after the victory.
The young player fought his way through the winner’s bracket last weekend with only one defeat. In the process, he also defeated top-class street fighter professionals. After his 3:0 victory over Chun Li from Valmaster in the grand final, however, he left the stage directly instead of being celebrated.
Only when the audience pointed out to him that he should accept his trophy after all, did EndingWalker sheepishly return to the stage. There he then received the well-deserved applause for his outstanding tournament performance. He was also presented with a medal and the top prize of $3,000.
An unplanned mic drop moment
After his win, EndingWalker looked relatively composed and his legendary exit underpinned the impression that the whole thing would be no big deal for the 16-year-old.
But far from it! The action was not a planned flex or a display of his coolness, the newcomer was simply overwhelmed! On Twitter, he explained his departure by saying that reality hadn’t caught up with him at the time.
Me walking off the stage after grand finals because reality hadn’t kicked in XD
I had an amazing time at the venue. The staff were super friendly & helpful as was everyone! I just got a bit overwhelmed in the end which is why I left kinda quickly after winning
I had a great time!– EndingWalker (@EndingWalker) November 13, 2022
Even though the action was not planned, it made quite an impression!
This is how the spectators reacted
Not only did the young Street Fighter player get a lot of applause on site, he is now also being celebrated on the net for his exit.
The name says it all. This is how you build a legend.
– Repeticio Mucho (@RepeticioMucho) November 14, 2022
I think bro is the main character
– b (@Brandonbebuggin) November 15, 2022
EndingWalker has even been equated with Street Fighter hero Ryu! In a cutscene from Street Fighter 2, he walks into the sunset after a victory. Underneath appears the text: “He’s already looking for the next challenge, ceremonies mean nothing to him.”
SON OF A RYU pic.twitter.com/MySTmANkFO
– Partytime Ying (@PartyTimeSeason) November 14, 2022
In the Street Fighter scene, he definitely won’t be forgotten in a hurry after this performance. But even before Paris, the 16-year-old was already being called the future of the British scene in the fighting game community and is considered a prodigy.
He has already won many online tournaments in a very short time, and he also came third in his first live event. So you can look forward to upcoming games by EndingWalker!
